Rodrik Cedarbrook
Rodrik Cedarbrook Lord Rodrik Ceveus Cedarbrook Underwood (7 July 11 L.C.) (OLL, [[Brotherhood of the Horse|'KBH']]) is a highly skilled but war weary Alliance knight. As the sole survivor after his regiment fell prey to the gruesome death magic of a Necromancer, Rodrik is emotionally scarred but keeps up appearances by clinging to his old self: the affable soldier trying to do right in a world of wrongs. A veteran of almost every major conflict since the War against the Lich King, Rodrik has served the Grand Alliance proudly. His time in Northrend gained him the rank of Captain and also command of his own company within the Stormwind Army proper. Events of that campaign continue to haunt him to this day, though he is slowly learning to cope with the trauma. Wounded once more during the invasion of the Broken Shore, Rodrik was placed on medical leave for the majority of the Legion's invasion. Not one to stay idle, he went about finding other alternatives to aid the war effort. His unwavering loyalty to the Grand Alliance has been tested in recent years, but still the Knight presses on in an attempt to protect those unable to protect the Grand Alliance. Early Life Orphaned at birth, Rodrik was taken in by the Underwood Family in Westfall. Unlike many of the neighboring farms like the Saldean's, much of their land remained quite fertile. Of course, this also made them targets of the Defias Brotherhood. Late one night, a band of Defias thieves broke into their home in an attempt to both rob and murder the Underwoods. Sybil Underwood, Rodrik's adoptive mother,did her best to hold them off, but the gang proved too much for her to handle alone. Had it not been for Jonathan's timely arrive, the house surely would have been ransacked. Jonathan, a Paladin of the Silver Hand, is one of Rodrik's main inspirations for his code of honor. The Underwood's farm lingered at the edge of Westfall, almost bordering Duskwood completely. At the age of twelve and on a dare from a friend, Rodrik crossed a bridge and made his way to Raven Hill. With nothing more than a rusty lantern, he definitely wasn't prepared for any serious confrontations. As he approached the graveyard, the ever-telling rattle and chilling sensation of the undead overwhelmed the boy. Instincts kicked in and Rodrik ran, but only found himself lost deeper in the cemetery. Surrounded by the undead and hope running short, he did his best to find anything that would help protect him. All he found was an old shield emblazoned with the crest of Lordaeron and a very worn-out sword. Being twelve, he barely managed to heft either weapon up. Before being sent to an early grave by those who needed to stay in their graves, once more Jonathan Underwood (assisted by The People's Militia and The Night Watch Militia) rushed in to save Rodrik. Again, Rodrik admired the tenacity of not just his adoptive father, but of the everyday men and women who came to his aid. From then on, Rodrik did his best to replicate Jonathan's valor. While training with the Silver Hand seemed out of the question to him, he still aspired to aid in the next best way: join the Stormwind Army. He was still in basic training during the Dark Times and The Burning Crusade. Exemplary service and a penchant for command, Rodrik was given official training as an officer cadet. An incident during the Scourge Invasion of Stormwind led to his commanding officer and most of the command structure of his regiment being killed, leaving him as the remaining officer. His heroic deeds during led to quick promotions up to the rank of Captain within the Thirty-Third Regiment of Stormwind (Duke Vasburg). War against the Lich King Leading a company withing the Thirty-Third, Rodrik drilled his troops until perfection, not content until their swords and shields felt like natural extensions of their own bodies. His leadership style was somewhat unconventional, inspiring confidence and loyalty not only through his prowess, but also due to his innate charisma and wit, making him immensely popular with his men. His unit was distinguished in several battles, whether it was breaking through Scourge lines, repulsing marauding Drakkari, or hacking down ravaging berserk Vrykul. On a joint mission with the Westfall Brigade in Grizzly Hills, the Thirty Third had been redeployed to fill a gap in a defensive line. Normally, the mage Vizimir Marek was deployed to aid in confrontations, but another break in formation called for his assistance further. Although Rodrik trust his men, the disappearance of Vizimir led to disaster. With many of the mages deployed elsewhere, the Thirty Third held very few counter-measures against the Arcane arts. Regardless, a necromancer saw a chance and launched a wicked assault against Rodrik and his men. For a while, it looked as though the Alliance forces might win, but the necromancer was their undoing. In a freak moment, Rodrik locked eyes with the man as he went about casting his death magic. Moments later, a colossal orb of darkness swept through the Thirty Third, killing and resurrecting all it touched. Had it not been for the actions of one of Rodrik's sergeants, he too would have been slain that day. At the end of the battle, the Alliance was victorious and the Scourge had been routed, but it was a Pyrrhic victory for the Captain. His regiment had been destroy and brought back as mindless abominations, with only a handful of his soldiers surviving. In a state of shock, Rodrik applied for leave, wishing to quit the military life and head home, but was denied and redeployed to aid the Argent Crusade in Icecrown. While he personally didn't siege the citadel itself, he still saw action in defending the Tournament grounds and against the Scarlet Onslaught. Fourth War The return of Deathwing and the sundering of Azeroth saw Rodrik take on a more defensive approach. Not officially attached to a regiment now, he saw himself sent to aid Commander Joanna Blueheart in the Swamp of Sorrows. Hostilities with the Horde had sparked up once more due to Warchief Garrosh, and Stonard was to act as a staging ground for the Horde once again. Rodrik was inspired once more by Commander Blueheart's dedication to the Alliance and her objectivity on the battlefield. Thanks to her command, the Alliance had successfully pushed Horde forces out the Swamp of Sorrows for good. While on personal leave between deployments, Rodrik returned home to check on his adoptive family. The farm was still prosperous, but another organization was forming following the defeat of Edwin Van Cleef. While unable to aid investigators directly in uncovering what had happened to the other farms, he still did his best to held the Westfall Brigade regain order and stability in the province. Things remained quiet for Rodrik for a long while, only being sent to reinforce areas affected by the Sundering. With Deathwing defeated by the combined effort of the races of Azeroth, the lull of peace overtook the world. It wasn't until the mists parted around Pandaria and Prince Anduin's disappearance that Rodrik was brought in for service once again. Operation: Shieldwall saw Rodrik deployed to Krasarang Wilds to assist with the war effort. The Horde held the same idea, gathering more resources for their war machine. Although part of many skirmishes, one situation in particular stood out. SI:7, already stretched thin from previous efforts on Pandaria, gathering a strike team to gather both intelligence and destabilize Horde supply lines. Rodrik and a handful of soldiers were selected for this team. While deployed, a detachment of Zandalari scouts and Mogu surrounded the men. The timely arrival of Tauren Sunwalkers helped push back the Zandalari, though now both Horde and Alliance stood face-to-face in the middle of an active warzone. Though tensions were high, both sides agreed to head their separate ways and avoid further confrontation. Rodrik was not part of the initiative to halt the Thunder King's return, but he did see redeployment to Kun-lai Summit to train Pandaren eager to join up with the Alliance. He even managed to participate in Xuen's Tournament of Strength at one point, managing to do rather well against many of the combatant. He grew to respect the Pandaren and specifically the monks of the Shado-Pan, admiring their bravery in the face of adversity. Garrosh's use of Y'shaarj's heart and corruption of the Vale pushed both the Alliance and the Horde to siege Orgrimmar to end his tyranny. Rodrik was among many of the troops that held the streets above while brave adventurers delved into the catacombs beneath Orgimmar to stop the Warchief. During the battle, one of the Kor'kron's Dark Shamans managed to catch the knight off-guard with a blast of pure fire. His face was burned and his helmet had been absolutely no use to him. Still he fought on, and only the horns sounding the victory of the champions below brought an end to the Fourth War. Iron Horde and the Broken Isles Garrosh had escaped his trial thanks to a rogue element of the Bronze Dragonflight. Another lull in peace commenced, but the reopening of the Dark Portal brought forth a new threat: The Iron Horde. Once more called to service, Rodrik was one of the many that stood against this Iron Vanguard. However, he caught a bullet to his right leg that temporarily took him out of service. By the time he was cleared for active duty, he was sent to aid at Stormshield, an Alliance outpost on the island of Ashran. His time on Draenor wasn't very exciting, though the occasional skirmish over Apexis and Ogre relics proved to remedy the pain. He did hold a vigil for Commander Taylor upon hearing of his death, swearing to kill those responsible. The events of the Draenor campaign are a blur to Rodrik, though it seemed that whatever they were fighting had been defeated. However, Gul'dan escaped and the Legion invaded Azeroth once more. In an effort to stop him, many Alliance forces took part in the invasion of the Broken Shore. While everyone fought valiantly against the Legion, they were ultimately defeated and pushed back. Rodrik was assailed by a pack of Felhunters, leading to yet another wound to his right leg. Broken and now having lost King Varian Wrynn, Rodrik and the Alliance retreated from the Broken Shore. Seen as unfit for duty, Rodrik was placed on medical leave once again. While still a commissioned officer, he found adapting to civilian life hard and actively searched for ways to aid the Alliance. By chance, or maybe fate, this is when he met Elestri Bloodrose. The Citrine Eagle His time in Stormwind was spent mostly wandering around with Vizimir Marek in an attempt to find some way to pass the time. One night at The Slaughtered Lamb, Rodrik was approached by a hooded priestess. She introduced herself as Elestri Bloodrose. The two spoke for a while, discussing family and other such things. She had mistaken him for one of the Stanners, though Rodrik very passionately described his feelings at the concept of "Westfall nobility". After spending the entire evening together, Rodrik asked her to accompany him to the Cheers for Charity event. During this time, Rodrik was introduced to The Citrine Eagle , first meeting Shindo Malphur on a visit to their forge with Elestri. Time away from the frontlines was driving Rodrik mad, but animosities towards Alterac made him a bit apprehensive of the order. Still, he joined up with the Eagles and aided them in many conflicts over the next two months. He fought well, earning himself a position within the Icewing Brigade. However, something lingered in the back of his mind during his time with the Eagles. Part of him longed for the familiar structure of the Alliance military. The turning point for Rodrik was a series of training exercises that ended in disaster. He was a captain that needed change, and that's exactly what he did. Not long after, the knight departed from the Eagles on good terms and made his way back to Stormwind, spending a couple days recovering before being approached by Sergeant Altinius Kolarn of the 42nd Stormwind Guard. In interim during this time, Elestri had started teaching Rodrik the scripture of Church of the Holy Light, spending time to help his better understand the Light. The two had become romantically involved over the past two months, with Rodrik having moved in to the priestess's house in Duskwood. Rodrik took to the scripture well, spending his spare time gathering knowledge and expanding his grasp on the Church itself. While not officially a Paladin, he still managed to channel the Light. As time went on, his devotion to the Light improved, leading him to take on a much different role than he was used to: that of a healer. In a way, it almost felt natural to him. Stormwind City Guard Rodrik Underwood's tenure with the Forty-Second Guard Regiment of Stormwind was brief and mostly uneventful. During his enlistment with them, he was approached on multiple occasions by a cobbler introducing himself as "Jones". Jones attempted to enlist Rodrik to aid in acts of vigilantism throughout the city, using his communicator to give away guard locations and position of attacks against the city. Refusing, the matter was resolved for the time being. A group known as the Old Town Saints appeared and began enacting these acts of vigilantism. With zero proof or a way to bring down the gunmen, Rodrik had to bide his time. Authored Works The Modern Knight: A Primer on Chivalric Codehttps://tinyurl.com/yckeod5f Military Service and Awards Rodrik has a number of medals including the Stormwind Long Service Medal, King's Cross, and Stormwind Defense Medal. In total he has accumulated eleven awards and one unit citation. He is a Knight of the Order of the Lion. Trivia * This character was originally planned as a Scarlet Crusader. * His namesake is Rodrik Forrester of Telltale's Game of Thrones. * Rodrik does not know how to swim, linked in part to his thalassaphobia. * Rodrik genuine has no idea how to flirt properly. He'll usually turn into a mumbling mess if he tries. * Rodrik's favorite time of year is winter, and he has fond memories of Winter Veil from his youth. * Rodrik considers horses and gryphons to be just as important as people. Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Stormwindian Category:Knights Category:Soldiers Category:Army Officers Category:Alliance Military Category:Order of the Lion Category:Stormwind City Guard Category:Stormwind Guard Category:Stormwind Awards and Honours Committee